


Small Flames, Large Hearts

by words_to_escape_by



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: BittyBones, Multi, Slow Burn, allthemonstersare-SHRANK, aresultto"whyarethemonstersshrank"?, butmostlyaboutgrillbybeingtiny, butyeahtinygrillby, don'treallyknowwhatimdoing, maybesmutsoneday, post-surface, probablymoreplotthanyou'dexpect, we'llseehowitgoes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:38:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9340121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_to_escape_by/pseuds/words_to_escape_by
Summary: A GrillbyxReader fic, but not in your typical manner....You hear on the news that an AI experiment gone wrong has released a few dangerous creatures that can only be described as "monsters". However, they are all below two feet and height and not considered lethal.You dismiss this as strange news, that likely will not pertain to you...Until it does.And you find yourself confronted with a small, well-dressed ball of fire who tells you that not everything is what it seems.A slow burn. ;) Pun intended.Grillby may be small, but he's hot stuff.





	1. A Rise, A Fall

Shouts erupted ahead. They were cries of happiness, of delight, of surprise.

 

He felt the growing warmth from the surface's sun, heating up the exit of the cave.

 

Today was the day that the monsters left the underground. The first day that many of them had stepped foot on the surface.

 

Of course, this was true for Grillby as well. He was not old enough to remember the surface- no, he had been born shortly after the barrier had been erected. He had only known the underground his entire life.

 

He had not been the most eager to leave the underground, either. He had a wonderful bar, filled with wonderful patrons. He had it for a long time... but... he now realized he was glad to have a change. A new future, filled with new possibilities- new people, new experiences...

 

And suddenly, he felt it.

 

The sunlight touched his body, and he could feel his flames warm even further. It was the most invigorating feeling- his whole body coursed with energy.

 

Today he was wearing his more casual clothes- not his typical bar uniform, but a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled and khakis. The sun touched his forearms, and he held open his palms in front of him. The sunlight washed over them, warming him.

 

He could feel a wide grin cover his face, the white-hot sliver stretch from one side to the other.

 

He saw it, burning in the distance. A glowing circle. The sun. It didn't burn his eyes. It simply... glowed. He had never felt such radiance.

 

"doesn't looking at that thing hurt, grilbz?"

 

Grillby laughed as he looked to his right to see a short skeleton in a blue hoodie walk beside him.

"No, it is beautiful, Sans. How could I not?"

 

Sans shrugged. "guess i _sun_ derstand, a guy as _bright_ as you can stare at the sun and feel no pain."

 

Grillby laughed at that too. Sans was always on top of the jokes.

"You've been up here before, right? What is it like?"

 

Sans eyed him, grinning. "you'll see."

 

He heard shouting, and Papyrus quickly ran by, with Frisk seated on his shoulders, followed by a shouting blue fish monster, Undyne.

 

"welp. gotta go check on my bro. later, grillbz. enjoy the view."

 

In an instant, Sans disappeared, and reappeared ahead of Papyrus, grinning in the distance.

 

He looked around. All the monsters were around him, all walking out together, all talking and shouting excitedly. Some even danced in delight. He saw several of the dog monsters walk around the white amalgamate dog, which was drooling excitedly. Muffet was riding her giant muffin-like spider pet, a sea of spiders swarming behind on the ground.

Above the heads of the monsters above, he began to see things in the distance. A bit of land loomed in the distance, its peak sharp. Almost parallel with it was a series of tall structures, with reflective surfaces. This must be the mountain and the city that they spoke of.

 

He quickened his step subconsciously. Grillby was not one to be impatient, he reminded himself, but something compelled him forward faster...

He joined the group of monsters at the edge of the precipice, and looked out.

 

His soul skipped a beat.

 

 

It was... breathtaking.

 

The sky ate half of the world, and the horizon stretched as far as he could see, with mountain peaks in the distance. The city on the right and the mountain on the left framed the view. The colors- the sky was so blue. Puffy tufts of white floated carelessly above, some settling on the peak of the mountain. The city was a grey mass of buildings rising from the lush green of the forest.

 

It was all so new. And the air...

 

He felt his flames lick at the air, feeling it.

It was so fresh. So light.

 

 

Soon, all the monsters rushed along, desperate to continue. Grillby felt himself compelled to go with the crowd, and the path ahead lead off the mountain and into the forest.

 

The air turned colder, and the forest rose to greet them. Branches snapped and the smell of plants was everywhere. The monsters were all still chattering happily- they had never seen a forest except for Snowdin's array of pine trees. Certainly never one so warm or alive.

 

In a short while, the forest grew less dense, and they all came upon a clearing. A small stream slowly trickled through the opening. The monsters carefully made their way through. Grillby was extremely cautious, and lagged behind, letting other monsters go first, since he did not want to be splashed at all.

Once it was just him and one or two other monsters, he crossed, frowning at the water. At least in the underground he knew that the water was confined to either Waterfall or the snow that lined the ground in Snowdin.

 

He once again looked ahead at the path full of loud monsters. He heard Papyrus' shouts over the crowd. Things along the lines of "making a good first impression" and "humans must be so excited to meet us".

As Grillby walked, he admired the plants on the ground. They were grassy and covered the soil- like a carpet. He remembered hearing something about a thing called "moss" in some human fiction he read. He smiled, feeling delighted to see new things alive and growing.

 

As he stepped over a root, he saw something black glint out from under a small plant. He crouched down to look at it. He looked back at the group of monsters still proceeding, and was briefly concerned about being at the tail of the group, but decided that this thing was worth checking out.

 

He gently brushed aside the leaves to find a small black post sticking out from the ground. It appeared to be made of metal, and as he peered closer, he saw red lights ring around a strip near its top. They seemed to be going faster and faster as he watched. He also began to hear a ringing sound.

 

 

This... did not seem right.

He stepped back from the machine and looked ahead.

He had to tell Sans about this, he had to-

 

_******zzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZKKKKKKKkkkkkksssssssssss******** _

 

 

 

He immediately fell, hearing many screams in the distance. Whatever it was seemed to have affected everyone, he thought.

 

He realized as he fell that he was in pain, a kind of electrical shock ran through him. As he made impact with the ground, he grunted.

 

However, the impact wasn't as hard as he anticipated it would be.

 

He stood, blinking. He grabbed his glasses, which had fallen off from the fall.

 

Wait, something was off....

 

The whole forest seemed bigger. The plants must have grew four times their size.

 

But that didn't make...

He looked where the black post was, which was now also four times bigger. It was nearly as tall as him, where it had only been as tall as his calf before...

 

What was going on? He had to find the rest of the monsters-

He slammed into something.

 

He was knocked back by the force of something. It was invisible.

 

He put out a hand, and a staticky snap pushed back at him. It was a barrier.

No, no...

He summoned flames, and threw them at the wall in front of him. They simply hit the barrier and faded away, their magic broken apart.

 

No!

He walked to the side, feeling for the barrier. It stretched out in front of him, only slightly curving as he walked, over the roots of several trees.

 

He realized that his footsteps were lighter and his movements quicker now.

Wait, the forest didn't grow...

 

He shrank.

 

He felt even more panic rise. What kind of magic...

 

He heard shouts, voices he had never heard before.

 

Summoning his magic, he felt his heat concentrate on his feet and hands, and he crouched and pushed off, rocketing into the air, flames stretching from his limbs.

He flew through the air, not making a sound, observing what was happening. He flew quite fast, faster than he ever had before, dodging the branches and vines. He skirted around the curve of the barrier, hoping to see anything that he could.

In a short while, he saw the rest of the monsters...

 

They were all small.

 

Many of them were lying unconscious on the ground, as the few who were awake were crying and shouting at the others to wake up, all realizing in panic that they too were small.

 

What had just happened?

 

The voices he heard shouting grew louder, and he landed in a treebranch.

Branches snapped, and several dark, large figures trampled through the brush hurriedly.

 

Humans...

He saw that they carried some sort of devices, like guns, but also with the glowing red ring around their black, protruding fronts. The humans were all covered in what appeared to be camouflage, and they all seemed to be searching.

 

They... were looking for the monsters.

 

How did they know? Did they...

Did they do this?

 

Grillby hardly had a chance to think these as the humans crashed through the barrier. He tried once again to fly through, but it blocked him.

 

Anti-monster barrier... figured.

 

The humans aimed their weapons at the conscious monsters and fired, blasts ringing like the static he heard earlier. The monsters fell, but did not dust. He breathed a short sight of relief.

 

The voices spoke, loud and commanding.

"We have about 80 monsters here, all affected by the MMB pulse, commencing capture, over."

 

Grillby felt his heard shrink.

Capture? Affected? _They did this..._!

 

More humans poured in, this time with cages that were made of solid transparent material. The humans began picking up the bodies and placing them in the cages.

 

Grillby felt his flames lick at the branches. He could do nothing. He could only watch.

 

"Henderson, any word on escaped signatures?" One human with a female voice piped up.

 

"One sec...." A young male voice responded. Grillby watched as the human tapped a monitor strapped to his arm. He looked for a brief second, and turned in Grillby's direction.

 

Oh no...

Grillby took off, skirting further along the barrier, which widened, pushing him away from the site of the rest of the monsters and humans.

 

"Yeah, there seem to be a few on the perimeters, but they don't seem to be running away." Grillby saw his eyes scan after him, but luckily, he was looking on the ground and in the trees over his head, where he hovered.

 

The other human scoffed, sounding irritated. "Well, point them out! We can't have any escape. The public can't kn-"

"I see one! Up there!"

 

Grillby saw a young sounding female point directly at him. Her eyes were wide, but with what, he did not know.

 

_Damn..._

As he immediately flew away, he heard several pulses whizz past the place he was just at.

 

No, he wasn't going to be captured... He couldn't... not if he was going to save the rest of them.

 

"It's heading for you, Terry!"

"Got it!"

 

He hears the deep voice before he has a chance to react. A pulse zooms past him, and he looks up, heading for an opening in the trees.

 

"Damn, we didn't account for flying ones..." He hears from the forest below.

 

Good... he grimly thought. Maybe he and a few others would escape.

**_*zzzzZZZZZZZ-*_ **

 

No-

A pulse clipped the side of him, and he began falling.

 

 

He still had some magic left, but he could feel it leaving him, weakening.

He tried to glide as far away from the place as possible, not towards the city, but away from the direction the humans came. He glided far, gently being carried by the wind, which he was grateful for.

 

His flames flickered as he fell, slowly through trees, and then the trees and plants opened to a grassy field. Ahead were buildings and short structures. Shelter.

 

He had to get there... if it rained....

 

He....

 

 

was falling.

His vision faltered.

 

..........

 

......

 

..

 

 


	2. Toaster Pastries and a Too-Hot Bench

"Breaking News: A Public Warning about Monsters"

 

Wait, what? Was this _serious_?

 

You turned your head to the tv in your living room, pouring your cereal into your bowl.

"Exos Industries has a warning for all citizens around the Ebott City area- a containment facility for their AI experiments has failed, resulting in a release of the experiments. Most have been successfully recaptured, but some have escaped. Exos Industries describes them as "monster-like" creatures with varying shapes and abilities, each no larger than two feet in height, but capable of limited speech and thought. They ask citizens to be on guard and report any sightings to authorities, as though they are not lethal, they can be considered dangerous."

The reporter then switches to something more mundane, and you crunch your cereal.

 

Huh. That's odd.

 

Hopefully, you wouldn't run into one on your walk in the park this morning.

Ha, you thought, that would be funny.

 

 

\----------

 

You smiled, looking at the rustling trees above you.

It was nice to see everything so green, after the long winter and seemingly cold spring.

 

You decided today was a great day to head to the park and just.... chill. You brought along your phone, headphones, your sketchbook, some snacks, and a book you had meant to read. They were all tucked safely away in your small backpack you brought with you. It was nice, with just the right amount of fashion and design that it didn't scream "child" like most backpacks.

You got enough of that from most people- you didn't exactly look your age.

 

Your apartment wasn't exactly close to much green space, but the bus stopped from your place to this park for free, and you did like its landscaping.

A kid tossed a dog a frisbee in front of you. Kids laughed and played on the playground. It was a standard day in the park.

 

You went to your favorite spot- a secluded pavilion, with stone benches lining the walls.

You sat on the meager cushion that rested on top of a bench, and pulled out your headphones and phone. You plugged in the cord, and leaned back, swinging your legs up onto another bench.

 

The sunlight shone in through the pavilion's opening, warming your lower half, your head in shadow from a column.

 

As your browsed your music, your legs felt a bit warmer. The heat from the stone was sinking in, you thought. You continued to browse, until...

 

Ow... that stone's a bit too hot...

 

You sat up, annoyed, grunting. Your favorite spot was _betraying_ you. You touched the neighboring stone bench, and were surprised by how warm it was. The sun didn't make stone that hot this early in the year...

 

You heard something, like soft puffs of air. You pulled off your headphones, resting them on your neck. You looked around, trying to hear where the sound was coming from.

Odd, it was ... under the bench?

 

You got off your bench, and down on your knees. You went forward on the concrete, and saw some sort of ... glow from the bench.

 

You peered in....

And something peered out.

 

Under the bench, propped up against the leg, was something very strange.

 

It was fire, but fire... in a human form, with neat clothes... that didn't burn. It even had little glasses.

 

You immediately thought- this thing has more fashion sense than I do.

 

It seemed to quiver in fear, the puffs of .... breath?.... more rapid.

You realized, with it backed up against the wall-like support of the bench, it seemed... sick?

 

The colors of its flames were orange, but orange and red, like a fire that was dying out. It also had tinges of purple at its edges.

 

It was actually kind of beautiful.

 

"Uh..." you said absentmindedly.

 

It edged away from you, unable to stand because of the height of the bench, so it sort of just scooted anxiously away.

 

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you.... do... you need help? You don't look so hot..."

 

You grimaced when you realized you made an unintentional pun.

 

The fire cracked in surprise. It stopped scooting away.

"...I could use some help, actually...." Its voice was crackly and deep, soothing, but did not seem right for something this small. It was clearly masculine.

 

Your knees began to hurt from the concrete.

"Why don't, uh, you come out from under there? It's a bit painful on the concrete."

 

"Someone will see me and I'll be taken..." He slumped a bit back. "Hell, I've probably already made a mistake in talking to you."

 

"Taken..." You sat back on your knees. You put the pieces together. "Are you one of the Experiments from Exos?"

 

Somehow, the fire's face wrinkled in confusion. "No? I don't know anything about that..."

 

Hmmm... they were supposed to be AI experiments after all, so maybe this thing was lying...

But it didn't seem right to just leave it here, clearly in bad shape.

 

"What kind of help do you need? You're made of fire, right?"

 

He nodded. "I need some sort of fuel. Preferably food."

 

Food, huh? You pulled your bag off of the bench, and grabbed a pop tart you had packed for yourself. You opened it, and broke one in half, and reached under the bench to him. Your hand felt warmer, but not like actual fire was there.

 

He eyed you cautiously, and reached out, his small flame hand grabbing the edge of the pastry. The half was about two times the size of his face, you realized.

"Thank you... what is your name, human?"

 

He was polite and well dressed. Huh.

"I'm ________. And you?"

 

You watched him eye the pop tart cautiously.

"My name is Grillby."

 

He takes a bite of the pop tart, and you see what appears to be a mouth- a glowing white line open and close, breaking a piece off. He chews, and his flames glow slightly brighter.

 

"So. Grillby. You say you're not from Exos? Then what are you?" Maybe testing him wasn't the best idea, but you thought it would be interesting. New AI tech like this was so top-secret.

 

"I'm a monster from the Underground. But... I am normally not this size."

 

You wrinkled your face. "A Monster? C'mon, those don't exist..."

 

He took another bite, and you saw him eye you with a blank expression.

"But we do. A few hundred of us. We've been trapped underground for centuries."

 

You quirk your eyebrows in doubt. "Sure."

 

"You think I'm some experiment from some cooperation? Is that what you heard?"

 

You nodded. "Exos Industries has been working on some advanced AI systems that escaped. We were warned that they were small, looked like monsters, and were capable of speech and thought. I have to admit, they're doing some great work- you're great at lying."

 

He took another bite and sighed, his flames growing brighter, and mostly all orange now.

"AI, huh? Lying, treacherous, dangerous AI that will do anything it can to not be captured and brought back to the lab?"

 

You nodded. It was fun, talking to this thing.

 

"And what if I told you I could prove I'm actually not AI, but a being from a race that has been hidden from public knowledge?"

 

You raised your eyebrows. "And how would you do that?"

 

"I could show you to the Underground."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sings* I can show you the worrrllllld....  
> Shining, shimmering undergrouuunnnnd....
> 
> Leave comments and kudos if you liked it! I use them as fuel for my writing.


	3. Traveling in Style

"Ok, so hypothetically, assuming you aren't a crazed AI experiment bent on human destruction, you could direct me to an underground cavern where an entire race has been living, hidden away for centuries?"

 

Grillby nodded. This human, although they had been told a lie and believed it, was intelligent. And, he noted, kind. He saw green in their soul.

 

"You know, we were told to report any sightings of experiments to the police."

 

Grillby felt his soul sink, and his flames die a bit.

 

"But... you don't seem that awful. Plus, your story seems really ridiculous. Almost too crazy for an AI to make up."

 

He took a bite from the food she had given him. It was incredibly sweet- too sweet, but good energy.

 

"I don't really want to leave you here- you could probably use some rest that isn't on concrete. Plus, I don't think too many people would just be chill with not calling the police when they see a tiny fire wearing such a snazzy outfit." She grinned.

 

He flustered a bit- was she complimenting him? His flames turned slightly pink for a moment.

 

"What say we head to my place? Got lots of fuel there. And, it's, uh, not made of concrete. And you don't have to worry about being seen."

 

He thought about this. The human could be planning on capturing him... or reporting him. Or worse. He looked at her face.

It was a patient smile, head tilted from peering under the bench.

This human did not seem to be likely to do those things, however. They seemed genuine. And kind. They reminded him of Frisk a little bit, with that same kind smile.

 

"I will come with you." He finished off the pastry, and saw surprise in her eyes.

He then rose to his feet, hunched over under the bench, and slowly walked out. He then realized his clothes were dusty from the dirt, so he brushed off himself. He then carefully looked around, glad to see no other humans nearby.

 

"But..." He had a thought. "How will I get there without being seen?"

 

She stood up, and also dusted off her pants. "It depends. Do you burn everything you touch?"

 

He looked up at her. She was easily four times his height. He felt... a mix of confusion, sadness, and despair. He then answered her question with, "Not if I don't want to."

 

"Great!" She grinned, and turned, grabbing something from another bench. She turned back, and was holding a backpack, decorated with a minimalist flower motif.

 

Oh.... no.....

 

 

\----------

 

 

In a short while, Grillby was seated atop the spine of a thick book, head resting on the pads of headphones, inside your backpack.

 

"Comfy?" You grinned inside your bag. He was kind of cute in there.

 

He, on the other hand, looked kind of pissed. "It.... will do."

 

You nodded. "I'll, uh, talk to you when we get there. It will take about 20 minutes or so, k?"

 

He nodded, his flames making the inside of your bag glow. You hoped he wouldn't glow through the fabric...

You hesitantly closed the cover of your backpack and buckled it shut.

 

You then slowly, gently, probably more gently than you ever had, put on the backpack.

You begin walking towards the bus stop.

 

Hooo boy was today a strange day. You just wanted to go to the park and chill, but no, the universe had other plans for you. And now you were taking what was likely some dangerous piece of AI to your apartment, where it could conceivably burn everything you have. Or worse.

But hey, he seemed pretty chill, and polite, too.

 

"________..." You heard his voice saying your name.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Thank you for being a good human."

 

You smiled a bit and blushed. Aw, he is nice.

"Well thank YOU for being a .... not evil, dangerous experiment of AI..." You didn't mean to sound as stupid, you actually meant to sound genuine, like he did.

 

You didn't hear a response, and then, "Happy to oblige."

 

You smiled, and arrived at your destination. You waited for the bus.

 

 

\-----------

 

 

In a short while, you were back home, and nobody had said anything about your backpack, or asked you if you had seen a small fire wearing a button-up and khakis.

 

You sighed loudly as you closed your apartment door, and locked it. You almost leaned against the wall, but you remembered you had him on your back.

You quickly moved to the couch and took off your backpack, ever so gently. You opened it.

 

He was lying down now, curled around your headphone's padding. He seemingly was asleep.

 

You could almost die from how strangely cute he was.

 

You didn't really want to disturb him, but you needed your phone, which was in there too. You carefully reached in for it, making sure you didn't disturb or touch him. Your bag was warm to the touch, but not hot. You grabbed your phone, and pulled it out slowly.

 

Mission accomplished. You silently did a fistpump with your phone in hand.

 

Well, what were you going to do now? He was sleeping, and if you had to guess, he didn't look like he had slept much under that bench...

 

If he was an AI experiment, or a monster from some underground hidden society, you figured he would probably be exhausted from hiding.

Well, you probably shouldn't sleep, but you could read or something.

 

You pulled out another book that you were meaning to read (since your first choice was currently a mattress) and flopped onto the couch facing the other with the backpack.

 

As you read, you felt your eyes get heavy...

 

You rested your book on your chest. Just a little rest...

 

........

 

zzzzzzzzzz

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were shrunk and everyone else was four-five times your size, you'd probably be a little pissed to ride in their backpack too.
> 
> Even one as stylish as yours.
> 
> Have a good nap, reader and lil Grillby.  
> The story is only beginning....


	4. Burning Questions

You felt something warm.... it was soothing.

A voice. It too was soothing.

 

It was lulling you back to sleep...

 

It got hotter.

The voice got a bit harsher.

 

"________?"

 

You opened your eyes and saw a bright orange light.

 

"Good, you're awake."

 

Your eyes came into focus, and you saw the head of a small burning body, with glasses that seemed to just float on his face.

 

Right, you had brought this guy home... what was his name... Grilly? Grillz? Shoot.

 

You pushed yourself off of the couch, and readjusted your body, cracking your joints. As you stretch your arms, you notice him flinch a bit.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Is that snapping sound normal for humans?"

 

You smiled. "This?" You snapped your ankles at him. He flinched again.

 

"I assume it is, then...." he crossed his arms.

 

"Yep." You yawn. "Did you get a good nap? You seemed exhausted, so I thought it was probably best to let you sleep."

 

His flames burned a bit red. "Thank you. It does feel good to be rested."

 

Grillby. That was his name-it just came to you. Good. You didn't have to ask again.

 

"I have a request." He spoke as he walked around your coffee table between the couches, avoiding the path blocked by your legs.

 

"Go ahead."

 

"May I utilize your kitchen and its ingredients?"

 

You looked at your kitchen. "Uh, sure... for what?"

 

You could swear you see the thin line of his mouth smile. "You'll see. Please, be at ease."

 

He suddenly started floating, tendrils of flame sprouting from his hands and feet, like rocket flares. He could fly?! He flew over to the kitchen, and landed on the counter with a gentle tap as his shoes touched.

 

"Woah, you can fly?"

 

"Yes. That is one of my abilities." He walked closer to the cabinets.

 

"That must come in handy a lot."

 

He stilled, and then turned back to you. His flames died down, and tinged blue.

"It helped me escape... but the others...." His flames grew smaller still. Like he would go out if someone blew too hard.

 

"What others? The other experiments?"

 

He turned to you, and his flame tinged a white-hot blue. You thought you could feel the heat from across the room.

 

"We are _not_ experiments, I told you, we are _**monsters...**._ "

 

His voice was dark, and laced with anger. You suddenly very much believed him.

".... I ... apologize. I should not have snapped at you." His flames turned back to orange, but they were still small. "Please, let me do this, and I will explain."

 

He suddenly floated up through your cabinets, and opened them all, looking around. He then did the same to your fridge. You decided to remain silent, only watching.

He got ingredients out, and then two glasses- one incredibly tiny shot glass your friends had gotten you as a joke, and a normal sized cocktail glass.

What exactly was he making?

 

You didn't have much alcohol, but what you did have he pulled out. He went from bottle to bottle, reading the labels. He also pulled out a variety of fruit juices. You were surprised at how he handled the bottles- they seemed to just float out of their cabinets, glowing in the same orange color he did.

 

In a short while, he had filled the two glasses. You lost track of all the things he put in them, and resigned yourself to the fact that if he had wanted to kill you, he would have done so while you slept, and not now by poisoning you. Man, were you paranoid...

 

He then put his hands in front of him near the bigger glass, and fire radiated from his palms to the glass.

It should have maybe shattered the glass or something, but instead, the drink inside began to glow and give off wisps of light like flame.

He did the same to the little glass.

 

He then motioned for you to come over.

 

You went into your kitchen, and looked, mesmerized, at the flaming drinks.

 

"Please, enjoy. Shall we sit at the table?"

 

You nodded, and hesitantly touched the glass- which was only slightly warm to the touch. Grinning, you went to the table. He flew behind you, clutching the tiny glass as well.

 

As you sat, and he sat cross legged on the table across from you, you took a sip, feeling the warm tongues of light wash your face as you drank.

 

The flavor.... was fantastic. It was fruity and sour and sweet and... warm. It had the warmth of alcohol, but this was.... You felt your face redden as you smiled.

 

You saw his grin again. "I'm glad you like it."

 

"What is IN this thing? And the flame stuff? And the flying? Just.... wow." You took another sip, and you saw him take a sip of his.

 

"Well, the simplest answer for most of that is 'magic'. Monsters naturally are born with it. But as to what is in the drink, I'm afraid that is secret. I used to own a bar underground, so I naturally must keep the recipes hidden." You eye him with wonder.

 

"So, magic is real then? That's another thing we've been lied to about, huh?"

 

His eyebrows (also made of fire) raise. "But how? Humans have magic too, surely they could not have hidden that...."

 

You sipped again, delighting at the flavor and the warmth spreading through you.

"But they did. Or all the humans with magic died, which is my theory. But enough about us. What were you saying about the others?"

 

Grillby's fire shrank again, and he took a long drink.

"Remember how I told you that I used to not be this size?"

 

You nodded.

 

"It was actually a day ago- yesterday- that the monsters organized the official "move out" day from the underground. It was joyous- everyone was shouting and cheering, eager to see the surface, and the sun...." Grillby looked out the window at the sun, which was casting a bright light over the neighboring apartment building.

 

"We walked from the mountain, down the path, and into the forest. I ended up in the back of the crowd. As we progressed, I noticed something black and shiny, and I stopped to look at it. Looking back at it now, I believe it to be a beacon. It was then that a pulse erupted, and all of a sudden I was suddenly much smaller." He eyed you. "How tall are you?"

 

"Five-foot five."

 

"I used to be six-foot three-inches, at my lowest burn."

 

You gaped. "Holy...."

 

"I heard screams of the monsters ahead of me, and I tried to find them, but I was blocked. They had put up a barrier. My guess was it was to keep the monsters inside from escaping, but I must have been trapped outside when the blast went off."

 

Your heart was still. This was like a war story.

 

"I tried to find them, and did. They were all small, like I was. Many unconscious from the blast. None dead. But then the humans came, with weapons that blasted the awake to the ground, unmoving. They spoke of capture, and of the pulse's effects, and I knew they had planned this. Then they put everyone in cages. They also spoke of the public, and keeping us hidden, and making sure that they captured all of us."

 

You stared at him intently. He looked back at you with the same dire intensity.

 

"Then they noticed me- they had devices to sense us, apparently. I escaped, but got clipped with a pulse, which severely weakened my magic, and I fell and landed in the park you found me. I barely managed to crawl under that bench before I went unconscious."

 

You swallowed. Despite the warm drink and his warm presence, you felt your hair stand on end.

 

"Do you see now?" He eyebrows raised in pain. "The dangerous AI experiments? Please." He scoffed, darkly. "Everyone I know has ben captured, or escaped into a world that thinks they are some sort of escaped tests-gone-wrong."

 

You now could not meet his gaze. You looked at the table, out the window. If he was AI, then how did he make these drinks? How did he make them flame, and give that warming feeling? How could he have made up this story? How...?

 

Your heart sank like lead. Then all of this was true.... Which somehow felt a lot worse.

 

You looked back at him, who had not stopped looking at you.

 

"Grillby.... I... believe you."

 

He looked a bit relieved. His flames burned brighter.

"I'm very glad. Now I don't have to show you the Underground to make you believe me."

 

You nodded absently. "Holy.... geez, that's a .... whole lot to take in."

 

People had known about Grillby's kind, and planned to capture them, and hide them from the rest of the world... but... why?

"Do you know why they would have wanted to capture you?"

 

He sighed. "Humans have always been afraid of us. That's why we were trapped underground in the first place. Humans."

 

"Are you...." You didn't want to say this wrong. "... Are you dangerous?"

 

Grillby eyed you cautiously. "We have some offensive magics, yes, but... most of us are no match against even a single human with an intent to kill." He sipped his drink. "There's a reason there's so few of us left. The Great War, centuries ago."

 

You frown. Great. Humans responsible for an almost entire genocide of a race. Doesn't sound like anything you've heard about in countless history books.

 

"I also think that they made us this size so we were less powerful. I cannot summon as great a power as I did in my full size. It was probably to make us easier to handle." He frowned and sipped his drink.

 

You pondered this. So many questions... who was keeping the secrets hidden? The government? Probably. Or maybe.... Exos Industries.

 

"Well. This all is awful, and I'm sorry that your first experience with humans has been absolute hell." You finished your drink in a long sip. It burned pleasantly.

 

"But now you have successfully got yourself a partner."

 

His eyebrows raise. "What?"

 

"I mean, you're gonna need someone to help break your friends free, right? And to make you big again?"

 

Grillby took off his glasses, and you could see his white hot eyes burn into yours, with a look of incredulousness.

 

"Are you serious, _______?"

 

You grinned. "Absofreakinglutely."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot THICKENS.
> 
> Can you see where this story is going?
> 
> I promise, I'll try to throw in fluff as much as I can, but man, does plot get me going.


	5. A Warmhearted Roomate

"But first-" you started,

"We gotta plan out life."

 

Grillby was still staring at you like you were some wacko. Well, for reacting this way, you probably were, but hey, that was you.

 

"What do you mean?" He sipped his drink slowly. He also put his glasses back on his face. You wondered how they stayed, since he lacked both a nose and ears, but you figured the answer would just be "magic".

 

"Well, I kinda have a job at a cafe. And as much as I'd love to spend every day doing supercool secret missions to find the rest of monster-kind, I gotta pay rent and eat."

 

Grillby nodded, seeming to understand.

 

"Also, since you probably don't have many other options lined up, you're definitely welcome to stay in my apartment. It's small, but I don't think fitting you will be a problem." You smiled, maybe a bit sadly, since you remembered him saying he normally wasn't this small.

 

He flared a bit red. "_____, are you sure? You have already been so kind and I do not wish to intrude..."

 

You nodded. "Of course I'm sure. I offered, didn't I? Besides, you don't seem like bad company at all, especially if you keep making drinks this good."

 

The red tinged to pink. "Then I will do my best to be a good guest." He adjusted himself, and the pink died down a bit, going back to his normal orange. "You said you worked at a cafe?"

 

"Sure do! I'm into craft coffee, like espresso, single origin... etcetera. I work at Victor Espresso, just down the street. Lots of customers, mostly hipsters and young techies of the city, but good pay." You noticed you were rambling a bit, and stopped there. "Sorry, got a bit carried away..." You looked into the window and held your head with your hand, resting your elbow on the table.

 

He sat up a bit straighter. "No, no, it was interesting. Craft coffee is something I have never heard of, but I do have an appreciation for craft beverages in general. Coffee would be interesting to study..." He held his chin in his hand pensively.

 

You laughed lightly. "The two of us make a pair, don't we? Coffee and cocktail enthusiasts."

 

You saw the thin line of his mouth curl into a smile, and his flames burn a bit brighter.

 

"Yes, an interesting pair." He finished his drink. You suddenly realized that he never opened his mouth to speak- it just sort of sounded. Magic again, you guessed.

 

Noticing him finish, you gestured to the tiny cup. "May I?"

 

"Of course." He set the glass down, which was probably no bigger than a thimble, which you then picked up. You walked over to the sink and began cleaning the cups.

 

"Say, Grillby... since you're made of fire, what does water do to you?"

 

His flames died a bit. "It damages me, and causes quite a bit of pain."

 

You immediately frowned. "That's ... unfortunate." You think as you rinse the glasses, fingers rubbing soap on the tiny glass. "Wait, how can you drink then?"

 

He stood on the table, and walked to the edge closer to you. "If the drink has alcohol, I can cast flame magic on it, which allows me to not be damaged."

 

You set the glasses down on the drying rack, and turned off the sink. You leaned on the counter and crossed your arms.

 

"That explains the bar business then, huh?"

 

He nodded.

 

"It's so cool to think that a whole society of sentient beings has existed under Mount Ebbot for so long... like, just living normal lives and stuff. Having homes, going to work, living, having families..." You flinched. Wait, did he-"

 

"Grillby, did you have a family that was in the group that was captured?" Panic and concern sounded in your voice.

 

He shook his head. "No, I do not have a family. Both of my parents were in an accident a long time ago, and I have no family of my own- only several dear friends, and many loyal customers."

 

You made a face. "Ah." Like you, he did not seem to have much of a family.

"Well, let's get you settled in then, shall we?" You turned from the sink, and went to the closet in the living room.

"I have some blankets you can use as a bed, if that works." You hoisted some of the fluffy ones from the closet.

 

"Ah, thank you. Although, you may not have to provide anything, I have some items, though I am unsure what size they are..."

 

You turned back to him, flopping the blankets on the back of the couch. "What do you mean?" You eyed him. He didn't have anything on him but clothes.

 

You watched as he pulled out from a pocket a tiny phone. "Monsters developed a technology that allows items to be stored in dimensional boxes, or 'Dim Boxes' for short. My phone has access to all of the things I stored form my home in the underground. However, I do not know if the shrinking applies to them or not."

 

Your eyebrows knotted. Monsters invented cloud storage for material objects?!

 

He tapped the screen. "I will try this out...." He pressed it again.

 

In front of him, floating in front of your table, a red pillow materialized into existence. It, unlike him, was full scale, and although it was half the size of your bed pillow, it was the same size as him. It just floated there in the air.

 

You saw his flames flicker a bit. "This is both fortunate and unfortunate..."

 

You smiled sadly and walked closer to him.

 

"Well, at least you can use everything once you are normal size again..."

 

He nodded, and pressed the screen, as the pillow disappeared.

 

"But seriously, that Dim Box thing is sweet. So convenient, I know humans would freak if they knew that existed."

 

He looked up at you. "I think they would if they knew any of us existed."

 

You nodded. "Also true."

 

He took a moment to put back his phone, and then rocketed off to the couch, landing softly on the seat. He eyed the blankets.

 

You walked back over. "Feel free to whatever, and if you want anything just ask. I fit a surprising amount of junk in this place."

 

"These will do wonderfully, thank you."

 

"No problem." You then picked up your backpack, and unpacked the stuff, putting the snacks away. "I should probably give you a tour, huh?"

 

When you turned back to him, he was organizing the blankets in a sort of mattress formation, with one folded on itself for a pillow. "That would be lovely."

 

"Well, you know the kitchen and living room..." You gestured vaguely around you. You then walked to the hallway that shot off near the end of the couch he was on.

 

You held out your hand, and offered it. "Want, uh, a ride?"

 

He angled his eyebrows. "... Sure." He floated from the couch to your hand and hesitantly landed. He weighed a bit more than you anticipated- he was a bit over a foot tall. Your hand was a bit unsteady... Needless to say, you didn't lift much.

 

"Perhaps your shoulder...?" he suggested.

 

"Good idea," you said smiling. You raised your hand, and he hopped onto your shoulder, steadying himself by placing a hand on the top of your head. It sure did feel weird, and he was pretty warm, but it was kind of fun.

 

"You steady?"

 

"Yes, thank you." You felt heat radiate from him.

 

You walked onward, turning on the light switches of the hall. You stopped at an open door.

 

"This is the bathroom." You thought about what to say next. "I don't really know if you need it, but regardless, here it is."

 

You could feel the motion of him nodding.

 

You walked onwards, and stopped at another door, open.

 

"This is my computer room-slash-library, but in reality it's pretty much a medium sized closet with too much stuff in it. You're welcome to the computer and books and everything."

 

"Thank you."

 

You turned around, and there was another door, shut. You briefly ran through your head how clean it was, and deemed it ok. You pushed open the door. It wasn't that bad- just an unmade bed and a sweatshirt or two.

 

"My bedroom. Normally very messy. If you need me for something and I'm sleeping, don't hesitate to wake me up."

 

You could feel him nod. "Very well."

 

You closed the door. Maybe it wasn't very necessary to give him a tour in such a small place, but hey, it was courteous.

 

Back in the kitchen, you said, "Thus concludes our very short tour. We hope your ride on the ____-mobile was safe and enjoyable."

 

You could feel him give a light chuckle as he flew off your shoulder and landed on the counter, his shoes making a light tapping sound.

"It was indeed enjoyable, thank you. I must find a way to repay you for letting me stay here."

 

You waved it off. "Don't worry about it. It's nice to have some new company. Do you need any help getting set up or anything?"

 

He shook his head. "But perhaps we should plan a strategy for finding the other monsters, whenever you are free?"

 

"Oh yeah, we should do that." You sat down on the couch.

 

 

\----------

 

 

About an hour later, you had discussed your work schedule, which was every weekday from 7 to 4, and decided how to go about looking for information on the monsters and who was responsible for their capture.

 

It seemed like since Exos Industries was blamed for the release, that they would have something to do with it. You decided that tomorrow night you would scope out their HQ to see if anything was strange. Any larger plans or projects could be pushed to the weekend when you had the whole day to work and investigate.

 

After that discussion, you decided to order a pizza. You didn't really want to leave Grillby alone to get food, since he would be home alone all day tomorrow. It was, of course, topped with your favorite topping, since Grillby had no preference.

 

The pizza arrived shortly. You got a paper plate for him, and cut his slice into small triangles as close to proportional as you could.

Also, apparently, Grillby had never had pizza, which blew your mind.

 

"Monsters only had access to a small variety of recipes that had fallen from the surface, so it makes sense that we have not eaten a majority of human food."

 

"Geez, but _pizza_! The pinnacle of human creation- bread with greasy goodness on it- it's such a shame you guys never had it."

 

"All the more interesting the first taste will be, correct?"

 

"Right again, Grill." You saw him flicker a bit pink at the nickname.

 

"You cool with that nickname? ... Er, not cool, but ... chill... no, that doesn't work either..." You struggled.

 

He laughed. "It is fine. It is a nickname I have not had before." He held his pizza sliver.

 

"You have other nicknames?" You caught a whiff of the pizza. "Wait, before you answer, please try some. I can't keep making you talk and not eat."

 

You saw him take a bite, his mouth opening to the white hot void again. He chewed it.

 

"Aaaand? How is it?"

 

He swallowed. "Quite good."

 

You grinned. "Thought you'd like it." You then took a huge bite of the pizza, remembering your own hunger.

 

"My most loyal customer and good friend, Sans, calls me "Grillbz"."

 

You smiled while chewing. That was a good nickname too.

 

The two of you chatted as you ate, about the underground, and about pizza and food, and things like that. You enjoyed talking to him. He was so calm and peaceful, and more mature than most humans you knew, and polite, too. Cultured. You asked him his age once, but he dismissed it, saying human years didn't matter as much to monsters, who aged differently.

 

Once you finished, you put the leftover pizza in the fridge- over half was left, which made sense, given that he was a really tiny guy. He still ate a whole piece of pizza, which surprised you.

 

After that, you bid each other goodnight, and you headed into your room to read and sleep.

 

As you lie in your bed, you thought about the day. About finding him under a park bench. How suspicious you were of him being an AI experiment. How patient and kind he was.

 

 

How _fucked up_ humans were to hide a whole race of people they nearly wiped out, and then capture them again only after they broke free.

 

And not only that, but to freaking SHRINK them. You couldn't imagine something more debilitating or disheartening than being smaller than everyone else.

 

Yet, Grillby was still ok. Still determined to find his friends. To free monsterkind yet again.

 

And you were **determined** to help him do just that.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and kudo if you liked!
> 
> Thanks for all the support also, btw. It keeps me sustained in these dark days of hideous college assignments...


	6. A Warm Welcome (Home)

"I'll have the Guatemalan pour-over, please."

 

"Coming right up!" You said with a smile. "That'll be 3.75."

 

The person in front of you handed you a card, which you swiped on the card reader attached to the iPad's screen, and handed back to him, your body going through the motions like a machine. You did this so often, it may as well be programmed into you.

 

As they stepped away, you began to busy yourself making the drink. The kind of coffee you made took concentration and skill, and you did your best to create good drinks every day. Coffee was a skill and a passion for you- and you were more than happy to get paid to become better and share your love of the beverage.

 

You placed the beverage on the counter, and called out to the customer with the name of the drink. They smiled and took it, going to sit at a bar in the back of the cafe and work on their computer.

 

When you weren't serving customers, your thoughts drifted to Grillby, at your apartment alone, doing god knows what. You wondered if he was using the computer or reading something- you figured that was what you would do if you were trapped there and knew hardly anything about the outside world.

 

You had woken up this morning pretty early for your shift, and found the ball of flame asleep in the blankets on the couch, his flickering head poking out. You noticed he had taken off his tiny shirt, and folded it on the coffee table. Did he need to even do laundry, being made of fire? Did his clothes get gross? Maybe from external things, but did he, like, shed, or sweat?

 

Regardless, he would need to do laundry someday. And he would need a change of clothes. All his other clothes would be full size, like his pillow. You wondered if you could buy him clothes. Doll clothes? That poor man. You could not imagine him, being so dignified, wearing some stupid doll clothes. He had such a sharp style too... You doubted there were even doll clothes cool enough, er, hot enough-

"Hi, can I order something?"

 

You snapped back to attention as a young woman approached the counter.

 

"Of course, what would you like?"

 

You shoved your thoughts of Grillby to the back of your head, or at least, as far as you could manage. Which was not far.

 

 

\----------

 

 

"Oh Grillby, I'm hoooommmee!" You sing-song as you walked in the door. You carried your backpack, as well as a few grocery bags.

 

You sat them down gently on the counter, and they made a soft clunk through the fabric bags.

 

A few moments later, you hear a crackling sound.

"Welcome back, _____. Did you have a good day at the cafe?" He landed on the counter beside the bags, once again wearing the same outfit- the button up shirt and khakis.

 

"I most certainly did. I even brought some stuff for you to mess around with, in case you get bored!" You pulled the contents of the bags out, several bottles of various alcohols, as well as some mixers and bitters.

 

His flames burned brighter, a bit pink at the edges. "Oh, ______, you didn't have to, not for me... but thank you."

 

You grinned. "How else are you going to earn your living?" Noticing him flicker (which must be his equivalent of flustering) for a bit, you laughed. "Just kidding. I hope you know I enjoy your company even without the tasty drinks- you don't need to repay me with anything."

 

Not giving him a chance to respond, you added, "How was your day here? What'd you get up to?"

 

He eyed the labels of the drinks as he speaks. "I was researching on the computer. Mostly on Exos Industries, on the press release about the AI experiments, and anything I could find on monsters." He looked back to you, his flames burning a bit dimmer. "My search results did not prove very successful on that last topic. Humans have a frightening idea of us, for sure. Centuries of separation after a war did nothing but damage our reputation with humankind."

 

You smiled sadly. "Yeah, the term 'monster' does not have a positive connotation. Did you find anything about Exos' headquarters though?"

 

He nodded. "I found their address, and from satellite imaging, several possible entrance points."

 

"You weren't thinking of breaking and entering, right?" You raised your eyebrows in slight concern.

 

"No, at least, not yet. I believe tonight is just surveillance."

 

"Good." You breathed a sigh of relief. You weren't ready for law breaking yet.

 

"After researching human technology, I also believe I may have a way to accompany you without raising much suspicion."

 

"Oh yeah?" That was a good idea on his part- you didn't even think of that. You just thought you would be smuggling him in again.

 

"Apparently, your hologram technology has been far more developed than we monsters realized. People have even begun having holograms as personal assistants conjured from their phones."

 

You nodded. It wasn't common, but you had remembered seeing people in the city with floating digital icons or characters, often animated in strange ways or made to look unlike a human, but something else. They were a recent development, but were super trendy- you think they were called "Holo-Coms" or something.

 

"So," Grillby continued, "Just pretend that I am one of these such entities. However, I doubt if I can float in the air as long as they do, so riding on your shoulder may prove the best method."

 

Huh. So, Grillby could be seen in public, if you pretended he was a Holo-Com. Which meant telling him arbitrary things, like, "Where is the nearest pizza place?" or "Set an alarm". Most Holo-coms were new and relatively weak in AI, but you could pretend you had an advanced model, or one still in beta testing.

 

"This could work. But we would have to be careful once we get close to Exos- who knows what cameras they could have? We would need something for you to hide in... maybe I could bring along a shoulder bag or something you could peer out of."

 

"Yes, Exos, if they are the ones responsible, will be on the lookout for other monsters, who will be, no doubt, trying to save the rest of them. Once we get close it might even be best if I am completely hidden- you can be the one to look. Even a hint of my existence and you might be put in danger." Even though his glasses mostly obscured his eyes, you could tell how serious he was.

 

"Alright, in that case, I'll bring my backpack again." You could feel your heart beat a bit faster than normal. "Man, this is exciting, doing recon on a secret mission and all."

 

He gave a concerned smile with the thin line of his mouth. "I hope it goes well, and we learn something that can help us."

 

You nodded. "Let me put these bottles away, and we can head out." You began to do just that.

 

"What is the weather like today?"

 

Right, he couldn't just hang out in the rain, could he?

"It's great, a few puffy clouds, but no big ones. An unusual thing for the late spring. I'll pack an umbrella just in case, though."

 

"Where do you keep them?"

 

"Oh, in the closet in the living room."

 

You sat a bottle in a cabinet and watched as he flew to the closet, his magic opening the door with a soft glow, and then an umbrella floated out, which he set on the couch. He landed on the back of it after shutting the closet door.

 

"Thanks for getting that, Grill. Your magic is incredible, ya know. Most humans would kill to have cool powers like that."

 

He seemed taken aback, his flames flickering. "That is a terrifying thought. I do hope that is not what they are doing to the rest of us..." He sat down.

 

"But killing you wouldn't give them powers, right?"

 

He looked up, with concern. "No, not with most of us- our souls and magic are too fragile to survive after death. But with a few of us, the boss monsters, the soul and magic persists, and humans can absorb their powers."

 

You barely set the last bottle down in time to turn back to him in shock.

"Do you think the people who captured you knew that?"

 

His flames burned low and red. "I can only hope not." He looked down.

 

You walked over to him. "Me too, Grill." You put your knuckle against his shoulder, to comfort him. "But just so you know, in my experience, people are generally pretty stupid, so I doubt they would do something like that. But enough about the sad things."

 

He looked up at you, his flames burning slightly more orange.

 

"Let's get packing, and go check out Exos."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the super cool mission begins...
> 
> And for all of you wondering what happened to Frisk, all will be (eventually) revealed. ;)


	7. Here We Come

 

 

 

You hummed an aimless tune.

 

 

 

The rest of the bus passengers were mostly staring at you, and you fiddled with your backpack strap.

 

 

 

Well, they weren't staring at you, per se, but more so at the dapper humanoid flame monster sitting on your shoulder.

 

Thus far, nobody who had seen you said anything, for which you were very grateful.

 

 

You sat on the middle portion of the local bus, which was taking you to the part of the city where Exos' HQ was. Your seat faced the center of the bus, and a row of seats inhabited by strangers was across from you. You had your backpack on your lap. In particular, a small child was eyeing Grillby with curiosity, but his mother hushed his quiet questions to her.

 

 

You could tell Grillby was pretty unnerved by this whole experience. He did have to pretend to be basically an advanced Siri (the kind of AI you were used to). That meant being silent unless asked something. And you didn't know what to ask him.

 

But then you thought of something. You could talk to him however you wanted, as long as you wore earbuds, so it was like you were talking on the phone.

 

Nobody was sitting particularly close, so nobody would really hear him if he spoke quietly. He was sitting next to your ear after all. His mouth also didn't move when he spoke.

 

You pulled your earbuds out from your pocket and put them in, careful not to touch Grillby, in case people saw that he wasn't actually a hologram.

 

He leaned away from your arm as you stretched around him with what appeared to be a curious expression.

 

Did he not know what earbuds were?

 

Once they were in, you cleared your throat.

 

"Uh, hey, Grillby. We can talk like this if we're quiet- it's like pretending to be on the phone." You talked so quietly it was like you were muttering to yourself. Nobody could hear you, for sure. The bus's engine was too loud.

 

"I see.... what did you wish to talk about?"

 

You stared out the window.

"You know... I'm not sure. Hmm.. I've never... snuck up on a headquarters of a tech company before."

 

You could feel his flames burn a bit hotter at the amusement.

"Me neither. We didn't have tech companies underground."

 

"Then how did you have phones?"

 

"The royal scientist did a lot of work on our technology. She even made our social media sites..." You felt his flames burn a bit cooler.

 

You considered this.

"You probably miss the others..."

 

He sighed, which sounded sort of like a crackling fire. "Yes. It's strange, both being entirely surrounded by humans, and not seeing a single face I recognize from the underground."

 

"Yeah.... I can't imagine. What I can't imagine further is... how an entirely different race of beings were living trapped underground and yet were hidden from common knowledge." You crossed your arms in frustration.

 

Unfortunately, your quick movement jostledGrillby a bit. He tipped a bit, and you raised your shoulder to adjust. He thankfully managed to stay on.

 

You looked around to see nobody on the bus look terribly worried.

 

You sighed in relief. You thanked whatever higher power there was for the apathy of fellow bus commuters.

 

"You good there, bud?" You muttered softly.

 

"Yes, I am fine now."

 

"Sorry about that, I, uh, kinda forgot you were there."

 

".... Please don't forget in the future."

 

You grimaced. "Yeah, I'll try my best not to. It's gonna be something I've gotta get used to, after all, if you're ever gonna leave the apartment."

You saw the bus approach the correct stop.

"This is us, Grill, hold tight."

 

You felt him stabilize himself, spreading out his weight.

 

You stood up as the bus slowed down.

 

You did that sideways tilt you had to do to adjust for the change in inertia....

 

But the bus stopped too fast.

 

You slid too fast to the side, and you felt him slide....

 

Your hand reached out before you could think.

 

 

It stopped him from falling, but the people on the bus thankfully weren't noticing as you subtly shifted the tiny flame man back on your shoulder. He held onto your thumb and middle finger with his hands, and you could feel his warmth on them. Not burning, just... like a warm glow.

 

As he was back adjusted, you briefly thanked the bus driver, and gently stepped off, now paranoid of making him fall.

 

 

Once off, you were left on a sidewalk in an empty area near some woods. Nobody was around, and you breathed a sigh of relief as the bus drove away.

 

 

"Oh, thank god that is over.... whew." You flexed your fingers. Your face mashed into a regretful look.

 

 

"And I am so sorry that I almost dropped you, like, twice. I am very not used to this, although I know that that's just and excuse and.... I'm sorry." The words flowed from your mouth like one very fast-paced phrase.

 

You felt a tiny, warm hand pat your shoulder.

 

"It's okay. I understand. I am just glad that is over now."

 

You smiled, and nodded. "Me too."

 

 

You felt him slide himself, and then he fell, and flew with his flame magic to a nearby branch at your level. He looked at you, with his tiny glowing eyes.

 

"So, Exos is this way?" He pointed down the path.

 

You nodded. "Yep. Shall we begin our stealth mode?" You slid your backpack off your back.

 

His face changed into one of slight sadness. "Yes, we should."

 

While you opened your backpack, you spoke.

"Don't be so sad, Grill, I made it extra comfy this time- lots of cushioning in there."

 

He just sighed, his flame puffing a bit.

 

You held out your backpack, open, with a soft towel inside, and a pillow under it.

 

He jumped from the branch into the pack, and touched down softly. He adjusted his legs to the soft padding, and quickly leaned against the side before sliding down and sitting cross legged. He peered out at you with a sad expression.

 

"I... cannot... I can never get used to this." He held his face in his hands.

 

Your soul hurt for him, seeing him like this... he seemed so... dejected. You hugged the bag closer to your body, the movement catching his attention. You hugged it like it was him, but not enough to actually collapse the bag on him.

 

"You should never have to get used to this. We're gonna fix this. You'll be back to normal in no time." You did your best to sound reassuring.

 

You saw his mouth line crease to form a glowing smile.

 

"Thank you, ______."

 

You grinned, a kind of sad, hopeful grin.

 

"Well, shall we be on our way then? And I'll see you after all this is over?" You held your hand on the zipper.

 

He nodded. "I'll listen, for now. It's up to you, but let me know if you need me for anything. I can probably still do some damage if I need to."

 

Your eyes widened. "I hope we don't get to that today. I'd like to get home with both of us unscathed."

 

"Myself as well. But... just as a precaution..."

 

You nodded. "I got it. I'll do my best to keep us safe."

 

He gave another small smile, his flames flickering a bit.

 

"See you later?"

 

He nodded, and waved. "Of course."

 

And so, you zipped shut the bag, and very, very gingerly slipped it back on your shoulders.

 

 

 

You exhaled forcefully, and stood with your hands on your hips, looking ahead to the path. You imagined you looked very cool. You puffed out your chest.

 

 

"Exos- here we come."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated this in far too long....
> 
> Forgive me. 
> 
> But... it's back! Woo! 
> 
> What will Exos labs be like? Will it be a locked-door lab? An office with a secret dark side? Or perhaps a blamed entity with nothing to do with the experiments besides being a front?
> 
> Who knows? Stay tuned to find out. I plan on updating at least every two weeks.
> 
> Cheers!


End file.
